Among the many Christmas events underway in Prague at this time of year is
an exhibition of nativity scenes and bells at Bethlehem Chapel in the city
centre. Hidden deep in the bowels of the chapel, the exhibition is light
years away from the bright lights and bustling city life above. Everything
on display is hand made –from wood carved nativity scenes to Christmas
decorations made of lace – and it transports visitors to the Christmases
of days-gone-by. My guide around the exhibition Hanka Drahošová says this
is the place to come for the real Christmas spirit. More

Prague Archbishop Dominik Duka has indicated that three new bells could
soon be added to Prague’s St Vitus Cathedral as replacements for
original
ones which bore the names Marie, Dominik, and Ježíš, that were
requisitioned during the First World War but never replaced. Three spots
in
the rafters of the cathedral have been empty ever since. The replacements
are expected to cost 1.6 million crowns. City Hall, Prague Castle
Administration and a number of professors from Prague’s technical
university, CVUT, have pledged to help raise the funds necessary for the
project; documentation on the original bells is currently being put
together.

Three bells rang out at the church of St Jakub in the south Bohemian town
of Týn nad Vltavou for the first time in 68 years on Tuesday. Only one of
the church’s original bells from the 17th century had remained after two
of them were melted down to make weapons in World War II. Local people
decided a year ago to rectify the situation and had two new bells made;
one
weighs 1,300 kg, while the second is rather lighter at 740 kg.

A traffic inspector makes off with a tram left unattended. The inhabitants
of Hradec Králove put up a fight to bring back the sound of church bells
at night, and Prague hosts the world’s geniuses. Find out more in
magazine with Daniela Lazarova.
More

Presidential candidate Jan Svejnar’s shoes come under close scrutiny in
the town of Zlín, two Czechs get their hands stuck in a billiard table and
many Bavarians are crossing the border for a quick fag in the Czech
Republic. Find out more in Magazine with Daniela Lazarova.
More

In Encore we look at two recordings said to be inspired by church towers.
It is well known that Bohuslav Martinu grew up in a room at the top of the
bell tower in the little town of Policka, but we will also be looking at a
living composer, who has found an "oasis of peace" at the top of
a Baroque spire in Prague.
More

Maria, Jan, Martin, Jindrich, Josef, Frantisek, Dominik, Vaclav and Petr.
These might sound like ordinary Czech first names to you but their bearers
are rather extraordinary. They were all born in 2003 and you can find them
under the roof of a Renaissance tower in the centre of Prague.
More

Just a few hours after the polling stations closed in June this year, the
clapper of the famous Zikmund bell at Prague's St. Vitus Cathedral cracked
and the bell fell silent. According to legend, the silencing of the
Zikmund bell is an omen of national tragedy. Those who believe the legend
first connected the omen to the outcome of the June elections, but looking
back the silencing of the church bell could be seen as a forewarning of
the disastrous floods, which hit the Czech Republic in August. Anyway, the
clapper is now back in place and Zikmund is once again ringing loud and
clear from Prague's St. Vitus Cathedral.
More

And now, moving on to something lighter, but still connected - albeit tenuously - to the elections. As you've just heard, Czechs went to the polls a week ago, in an election which saw the Communist Party clinch their biggest share of the vote since 1989. Just four hours after the polling stations closed, however, a bell in Prague's St Vitus cathedral fell silent - which the more superstitious people of this country saw as an omen of impending doom. Dita Asiedu has more: